June 24, 2013

Geneva Most Expensive City According to Hotels.com Survey

Geneva has taken over from Paris as the most expensive city in the world in which to order a Club Sandwich, at an average of $30.45, according to research released by Hotels.com®. Using the classic hotel staple of a chicken, bacon, egg, lettuce and mayonnaise sandwich as a barometer of affordability, the Hotels.com Club Sandwich Index (CSI) offers travelers an indication of the cost of living associated with their destination of choice.

The CSI average price is calculated from the real prices paid by guests for a Club Sandwich in 30 hotels in the capital or an important tourist city of each country surveyed, across five, four and three star categories. In total, 840 hotels globally were canvassed. Now in its second year, the Index reflects not only changes in the actual price of a Club Sandwich across the globe but also the effect of currency fluctuations. Travelers will be pleased to note that, on the whole, prices are falling: the Genevan average of $30.45, although higher than any other destination, is also lower than last year’s most expensive, which was $33.10 in Paris.

Gastronomic hub and last year’s chart topper, Paris, this year slipped to number two with a new average of $27.45, closely followed by Oslo, which held on to the number three spot with $26.72. India’s New Delhi remained the cheapest destination to buy a Club Sandwich, with an average price of just $9.11.

New York City, the only U.S. destination to make the global list*, anchored the middle with an average of $17.51, up $1.57 from its 2012 average of $16.93. Prices in NYC ranged from a hefty $27 at the 5-star renowned St. Regis New York to a more modest $7.95 at a 3-star property elsewhere in Midtown. Another U.S. region that saw significant increases in Club Sandwich pricing includes the West Coast, with Los Angeles and San Francisco increasing by approximately $4 to $15.21 and $3, to $15.52 respectively. On the East Coast, Orlando saw a $4 decrease to $11.17, while in the country’s center cities like Houston and Las Vegas remained the same year over year. Alison Couper from Hotels.com said: “The Club Sandwich, available on hotel menus across the globe, is the perfect spending barometer, helping tourists factor into their travel plans the everyday cost of simple items such as food and drink. The price changes when comparing 2013 to 2012 hide a complex story of factors from changes in the local price of basic food items through to currency fluctuations. The beauty of the CSI is that we are able to offer travelers a simple price comparison to show how far their money may stretch in each country.”